How to Destroy a Rich Boy

Chapter Fifty

 Nathan gave me an incredibly flat look, but I could still see the tendrils of amusement dancing in his eyes. "That goes both ways, you know; you're equally as annoying," he said, giving me a pointed look.

I laughed despite his insult. "No, but seriously," I said, sobering up. "I'm not irritated by the way you've been acting at all. If anything it's kinda sweet. But as sweet as it is, I still think you shouldn't worry so much. I'm pretty sure if someone takes their eyes off me for a minute, I'm not going to miraculously die," I snorted.

Nathan went incredibly still, and after several breaths of silence, he slowly shook his head.

"Sometimes that's all it takes," he said, staring at the ground. "Sometimes you take your eyes off someone for a second, and that's all they need."

I furrowed my brows. "Nathan, are you okay?"

Nathan looked at me long and hard, his eyes swimming with a thousand emotions all at once before he went back to looking at the sea.

He shook his head. "No," he swallowed, his voice holding an edge to it. Hearing the tension behind his tone, I knew it was best not to say anything.

"You know, how I told you I was the youngest sibling?" he said, still staring forward.

 I nodded my head slowly. 

"Well, I lied..." He paused. I'm the middle child."

"What?" I said, my brows furrowing. "Why would you lie?" I had been talking to Nathan for months now, and he'd only mentioned one sibling: Noah.

He shrugged. "Because it hurts to talk about," he said, silence following his words. "But, as shitty as it is to talk about, you deserve to know why I've been treating you the way I have," he mumbled as he spared me a brief look.

 "No, you don't. You don't have to tell me anything that's going to stress you out, okay," I explained adamantly.

"Yes, I do," he stated with a finality in his tone. After several breaths of silence, he cleared his throat and settled his eyes on mine. "My parents had three sons, not two. First, it was Noah, then two years later me, and then another two years later-," He paused to breathe. "-and then Aden, my little brother was born."

I stilled, instantly recognizing that name as the same one he had called out in his dream. "As we were so close in age, all three of us used to get along quite well. We all had our own little personalities. Noah was the cool one. I was the goody-two-shoes. And well, Aiden, Aiden was absolutely fucking nuts," he said, his lips breaking out into a reminiscent smile. 

I smiled along with him, not being able to help myself. "Well, that's a flattering description, isn't it," I joked.

"I don't mean it in a bad way," he smiled. "It's what I liked most about him. He was so full of energy, so happy, so funny. He was always winding people up and stuff, you know, your typical prankster kid. He even got me at one point. The little fucker dipped my hand in cold water in the night and made me wet my bed," he chuckled.

My eyebrows shot right up. "Oh, my god, how old were you?" I gasped as I desperately tried to control the urge not to smile.

"Twelve," he said flatly. 

As soon as he said that, I fully broke out into laughter, tears starting to pool in my eyes. "Oh my god, that's so embarrassing. You must have been so pissed at him."

"Not really," he smiled. "Nobody could really stay mad at him for too long. That boy could literally murder someone, and we'd all cover for him in a heartbeat," he snickered, shaking his head fondly at the memory.